Spontaneous thoracic spinal subdural hematoma associated with apixaban therapy

Spontaneous spinal subdural hematomas are extremely rare. Most spinal hematomas are discovered in the epidural space. In the majority of cases, spontaneous hematomas are idiopathic. However, when attributed to anticoagulation therapy coumarins are more common than direct factor Xa inhibitors such as apixaban. Previous reports have linked direct factor Xa inhibitors with intracranial subdural hematomas much more frequently than spinal subdural hematomas. The manifestation of severe neurological deficits, such as sensorimotor disturbances and loss of sphincter control, is common and is considered a surgical emergency. The present case consists of a patient with a spontaneous spinal thoracic subdural hematoma secondary to apixaban use with loss of sphincter control and paraplegia. After 6 months of follow-up, the patient recovered completely.